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The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup is only days away, and for the Indian cricket team, this is the last opportunity for both captain Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid to lay their hands on the coveted ICC silverware. Rohit won the T20 World Cup in its very first edition 17 years ago, but for coach Dravid, who will not be seeking an extension with the team once his contract expires at the end of the tournament, it’s an if not now, then never situation.
Opinions may be divided but Rohit, Dravid and the BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar believe this is the best squad of 15 India could have assembled for the World Cup. Rohit and Virat Kohli are back, as are Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. Yashasvi Jaiswal is the exciting opener, while Sanju Samson has finally been rewarded for his dues by getting picked as one of the wicketkeepers along with Rishabh Pant. Shivam Dube’s meteoric rise has earned him a place at the expense of Rinku Singh, and despite a flop show with bat, ball and as Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya is the designated vice-captain of the team. With a team of such pedigree, you would back them to go all the way, right? Right?
Well, if former Australia Test captain Tim Paine is to be believed, the collective efforts of the Indians may not be enough. Paine reckons for India to have a shot at the World Cup, the one person who has to fire more than anyone else is Kohli. In fact, Paine, in conversation with fellow Australians Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke on the ‘Around the Wicket’ podcast, reckons Kohli having a banger of a tournament is directly proportional to India lifting the World Cup, and vice-versa.
“I can’t see India winning the World Cup unless Virat Kohli has a really strong World Cup – bit similar to Glenn Maxwell’s form. I know he hasn’t been red-hot as of late but I can’t see Australia winning the World Cup unless Maxwell has a blinder,” Paine said likening Kohli to Maxwell.
However, Kohli and Maxwell current forms are like chalk and cheese. Kohli has set the IPL 2024 on fire having scored over 500 runs including a century to hold the Orange Cap, whereas Maxwell has blown cold and how. With just 36 runs from 8 matches at a woeful average of 5.14, IPL 2024 has been Maxwell’s worst season. Kohli and Rajat Patidar have been the only saving graces for RCB, which is why they are still in contention for the Playoffs, with Saturday’s clash against Chennai Super Kings being a knockout.
Coming back to Paine, while Kohli looks to be in his prime once again. He was the leading run-scorer in the last two World Cups – 296 runs from six matches at an average of 98.66 in 2022 T20 World Cup and 765 runs from 11 games at an average of 95.62 at last year’s ODI World Cup in India. But as history holds true, being the highest run-getter is not enough to take the team all the way. At 35, this could also be Kohli’s last T20 World Cup, as, by the next edition, he would be 37. Yet to win a T20 World Cup – he came close in 2014, 2016 and 2022, Kohli would want to replicate his RCB form for the Men in Blue when India begin their campaign against Ireland on June 5.
